Market Notes
April 2, 2020

 

TRANSITION CONDITION

     Usually, by this time of year our greens growers have relocated from the desert of Yuma to the fertile Salinas Valley.  This year the Coronavirus has slightly altered that move. While some growers decided to wrap everybody in safety clothing and masks to brave to sojourn north, others have decided to take advantage of the late season conditions and wait until the quarantine has eased to make the same journey.  While both can be wise decisions, this creates a new nightmare for truckers and loading. If you are not picky about growers, and a bit flexible on price we can load in either location the complete line of baby greens and salad mixes. This will most likely continue through April.  By mid-May it will be too hot to continue desert operations and the entire deal will be moved north. So, you have your choice of location for your holiday orders, depending on where and how your trucks move. Yuma is perfect if you are coming out of Los Angeles, but if you load in Salinas, we can cover you there as well.

MAKE ROOM FOR SHROOM

      Nobody told the woods and the secret hiding spots that there were not going to be any restaurant patrons for their seasonal wild goodies so they are here and now somewhat in abundance. And while the foragers forage, as foragers will do, the fungus fans out over the wooded fields screaming out the arrival of spring. The result is beautiful product with nowhere to go. This translates to in stock and reduced pricing on Morels, Hedgehogs, Maiitake, Shiitake, Fiddlehead ferns and more. This is only while supplies last and just in time for holiday meals. So call one and call all, but call quickly before they all fall.

NEW PRODUCE QUIZ – WHO AM I ???

     I am so darn cool looking it’s scary. I am the fruit of a very short-stemmed palm but my leaves can be up to twenty feet long. My reddish brown scaly-skinned family grows in clusters at the base of said palm. We are protected by large spikes, so getting to my three lobes of pale yellow pulp won’t be easy.   I am native to Java and Sumatera, but these days I a cultivated throughout Indonesia.  I have over thirty cultivars, most of them annoyingly bitter but two of my most popular varieties, Bali and Pondoh are not. Pondoh is loved by the humans because the flavor is sweet and the aroma is intense. My Pondoh variety is also popular because my flavor and aroma are evident before I am fully ripe.  My Bali is a smaller fruit, about the size of a large fig. We are crunchy, moist and a bit starchy in texture, reminiscent of pineapple and lemon juice. It is still best to consume me when I am fully ripe. Often peeled and eaten right out of hand, I am also made into chips, wine, candies pickled, or juiced. My thin skin is stunningly scaled and you can tell when I am ripe because my scales grow further apart. Pinch my tip and peel me against my grain to cleanly expose my pulp. Each of my three lobes is covered with a thin membrane. When peeled off some of my astringency goes with it but if left intact I am known to keep humans regular. But excessive consumption will have the opposite effect.  I am considered great for overall health. I contain protein, beta-carotene, vitamin C, dietary fiber, iron, calcium, phosphorus, and carbs. I have been known to help prevent cardiovascular disease, strokes and cancer.  If you can get past my thorns, I am totally worth it.

 

THE ANSWER FOR THIS WEEKS QUIZ WILL BE POSTED ON 4-9-2020

Call 908-789-4700 –Lisa or Richard– Fax 908-789-4702 Visit us at www.culinaryproduce.com “like” us @ Culinary Specialty Produce on Facebook© Culinary Specialty Produce, Inc., 2015